Lindisfarne, 793: What We Know, What We Think, and Why It Shocked Europe

The event (facts we have) On 8 June 793 (traditional dating), seaborne raiders struck the monastery of Lindisfarne (Holy Island) off Northumbria’s coast. The attack was recorded by several near-contemporary sources and quickly became emblematic of the “Viking Age.” The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle notes a terrifying year of portents followed by the raid; the Northumbrian scholar … Continue reading Lindisfarne, 793: What We Know, What We Think, and Why It Shocked Europe